SM UB-55 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 1 July 1917 as SM UB-55.[Note 1]
 UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-55.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UB-55 |
| Ordered | 20 May 1916[1] |
| Builder | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Cost | 3,276,000 German Papiermark |
| Yard number | 267 |
| Laid down | 5 September 1916[2] |
| Launched | 9 May 1917[3] |
| Commissioned | 1 July 1917[3] |
| Fate | Sunk 22 April 1918 at 50°59′N 01°20′E / 50.983°N 1.333°E by mines, 30 dead[3] |
| General characteristics [3] | |
| Class and type | Type UB III submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 5.80 m (19 ft) |
| Draught | 3.72 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 31 men[3] |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | 7 patrols |
| Victories: | |
She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-55 was sunk at 05:05 on 22 April 1918 at 51°01′N 01°20′E / 51.017°N 1.333°E after striking a mine, 30 crew members lost their lives in the event.[3]
Construction
editShe was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 9 May 1917. UB-55 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Ralph Wenninger. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-55 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-55 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,020 nautical miles (16,710 km; 10,380 mi). UB-55 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 646 t (636 long tons; 712 short tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 November 1917 | Clan Cumming |  United Kingdom
|
4,808 | Damaged |
| 7 December 1917 | Proba | United Kingdom
|
105 | Sunk |
| 8 December 1917 | Corinto |  Norway
|
999 | Sunk |
| 11 December 1917 | Argus |  Portugal
|
100 | Sunk |
| 11 December 1917 | Ligeiro | Portugal
|
25 | Sunk |
| 11 December 1917 | A Portuguesa | Portugal
|
107 | Sunk |
| 11 December 1917 | Vigneira | Portugal
|
25 | Sunk |
| 16 December 1917 | Foylemore | United Kingdom
|
3,831 | Sunk |
| 25 January 1918 | Eastlands | United Kingdom
|
3,113 | Sunk |
| 26 January 1918 | Manhattan | United Kingdom
|
8,001 | Damaged |
| 29 January 1918 | Addax | United Kingdom
|
40 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | General Leman | United Kingdom
|
57 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | Ibex | United Kingdom
|
42 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | Perriton | United Kingdom
|
90 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | Perseverance | United Kingdom
|
51 | Sunk |
| 30 January 1918 | HMS Wellholme |  Royal Navy
|
113 | Sunk |
| 14 March 1918 | A. A. Raven |  United States
|
2,459 | Sunk |
| 21 March 1918 | Begonia | United Kingdom
|
3,070 | Sunk |
| 23 March 1918 | Chattahoochee | United States
|
8,007 | Sunk |
| 23 March 1918 | Madame Midas | United Kingdom
|
1,203 | Sunk |
| 23 March 1918 | Mar Baltico |  Spain
|
2,023 | Sunk |
| 23 March 1918 | Venborg | Norway
|
1,065 | Sunk |
| 24 March 1918 | Fileur |  France
|
73 | Sunk |
References
editNotes
edit- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
edit- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 55.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 55". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-55". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
Bibliography
edit- Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.